The Midnight Fox Protocol

I was totally spying on Jason's Instagram stories at 2 AM when my phone buzzed. Unknown number.

'u up?'

My heart did that stupid fluttery thing it always did when a certain someone's name popped up on screen. But this wasn't him. Just a random number.

'who is this'

'It's Maya. From bio. I need your help with something.'

Maya Chen, who sat two rows behind me and never spoke to anyone? I was already running through possibilities. Was this about the group project? Did I accidentally like something from three years ago while stalking her profile?

'what do u need'

'There's this fox behind the old gym. I think it's hurt.'

I stared at my ceiling. A fox? At 2 AM? This had to be some kind of prank. But something about the way she'd noticed I was awake made me feel… seen. Like she'd been watching my profile too.

'i'm in'

We met by the tennis courts, both in oversized hoodies, trying to play it cool even though we were both obviously nervous. The moon was bright enough that I could see Maya's phone illuminating her face, her dark hair pulled back in that messy bun she always wore to school.

'So what's the deal with the fox?' I whispered.

'I've been watching it for days,' she said, leading me behind the gym. 'My cat keeps going crazy at the window every night, staring toward the school.'

And there it was—a small fox with beautiful russet fur, its left hind leg caught in some old fencing wire. It watched us with cautious amber eyes.

'Okay, so we're definitely not wildlife experts,' I said.

'My uncle's a vet,' Maya said. 'I called him. He said to distract it while he drives over.'

'Me? Distract it?'

'You're the decoy. I'll grab its scruff when it looks at you.'

'This is the worst plan ever,' I said, but I was already moving forward, making clicking sounds with my tongue. The fox's ears perked up.

Everything happened fast—the fox, the leap, Maya's quick hands, my phone flashlight blinding us all. But somehow, thirty minutes later, we were sitting on the curb while her uncle checked the fox over.

'Nice work, spies,' he said, wrapping the fox's leg.

Maya looked at me and grinned. 'Friends?'

'Friends,' I agreed, already knowing I wanted to be way more than that.

The next day at school, Jason finally noticed me. But for some reason, I didn't care anymore. I was too busy catching Maya's eye across the cafeteria and getting that secret smile that said we had our own midnight world now.